[nagdu] Airline Travel

Shanna Stichler slstich at gmail.com
Sun Nov 17 05:44:38 UTC 2013 

The dog I have now is a German Shepherd weighing about 80 pounds. She's 
also a very long dog, if that makes sense, so she just takes up space 
everywhere. I got this dog at 8 months of age, so she's gotten quite a 
bit bigger. *smile*

Airline staff has always been really nice about letting me have the 
floorspace for two seats, if, and only if, the flight isn't full, which 
is nice. If not, I make sure the person sitting next to me knows the dog 
will be kind of in their space. I try to keep her as close to me as I 
can, but sometimes a paw or something will spill over a little bit. 
Everyone I've flown next to has been quite gracious, thank heaven.

Shanna and Diamond
On 11/16/2013 11:36 PM, Nicole Torcolini wrote:
> Oh, that's interesting and kind of surprising . If you don't mind me asking,
> what breed is your dog and how much does she weigh? Did she grow a lot after
> you got her?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shanna Stichler
> Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2013 9:31 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Airline Travel
>
> I pre-board always with a dog, but I usually fly Southwest, and if I
> pre-board, I can claim a seat in the bulkhead. With my current dog, I must
> ffly bulkhead because she just won't fit under the seat in front of me. My
> previous dog was a lot smaller and really didn't care for the bulkhead rows.
>
> If I'm flying on an airline other than Southwest, then I simply speak to the
> gate agent as soon as possible to be sure I get a bulkhead seat. I have no
> idea what I would do if I needed to fly in a puddlejumper. My dog will not
> fit in the very limited space provided.
>
> Everyone has covered security screening pretty thoroughly, so I won't do so
> again. Have a great trip, and let us know how your flights went!
>
> Best,
> Shanna and Diamond
> On 11/15/2013 10:33 PM, Craig Heaps wrote:
>> Yes, my wife is fully sighted.  I am also partially sighted.  I cane
>> traveled by myself to and from Chile.  My wife and I traveled (me with
>> my cane) a couple years ago to the UK.
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brandydp" <brandydp at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2013 4:40 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Airline Travel
>>
>>
>>> Hi Craig,
>>> This is what I usually do. You can call ahead as cheryl said. I
>>> haven't tried that before. Is your wife sighted? When I fly alone I
>>> ask for a sky cap to assist me through security. Even when I had my
>>> boyfriend with me this last flight jfk asked if I would still like
>>> assistance. I said yes and they took us to a shorter line through
>>> security. Here you take off shoes and blah blah. Legally they can't
>>> ask you to take off the harness. I usually do just because they are
>>> going to pat my dog down and this way it won't be in harness and it
>>> saves them searching the harness pouch with miss wriggles bouncing
>>> around as she does. There are three ways to do this. This is the one
>>> I do. Have someone take you up close enough to the detector, think
>>> it's called a magdomitor, have your dog sit or down make a long leash
>>> then you walk through making sure to keep the metal in your hand.
>>> When they tell you call chase through. Then he only goes off and they
>>> only search him. Or you can send the dog first, heard this somewhere
>>> don't know if I would try it. Or you both can walk through and they
>>> would have to pat down both of you. They will probably swab your
>>> hands because people have apparently hidden explosives in animals...
>>> Very sad. They ask you to not touch your dog after going through. I
>>> accidently do this and haven't been yelled at yet. As for sitting
>>> it's up to you. I prefer to not sit in bulkhead but my dogs have been
>>> small. I always try to get the window seat so the dog lays parallel
>>> to the wall under the seat in front of you. You may prefer bulkhead.
>>> They have to lay perpendicular to you there but your wife will be
>>> next to you so stealing her foot room won't be an issue. Lol. You can
>>> always go to the desk at the gate to discuss seating and they will
>>> contact passengers to see if they are ok switching. Hope this helps.
>>>
>>> brandy pinder
>>> Alumni Council -  second vice Chairman Guide Dog Foundation for the
>>> Blind, IncR and America's VetDogsR, The Veteran's K-9 Corps IncR
>>> Providing "Second uSight"R since 1946
>>>
>>> 371 E. Jericho Turnpike smith town ny 11766
>>> Cso: 866-282-8047
>>> Email: brandydp at verizon.net
>>> Cell: 304-685-4499
>>>
>>> On Nov 15, 2013, at 7:14 PM, cheryl echevarria
>>> <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Here is the link to the website for TSA Care Program.
>>>> Maybe had NAGDU's webmaster put it on the website site.
>>>> http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/travelers-disabilities-and-m
>>>> edical-conditions
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in
>>>> Independent Travel!
>>>> Cheryl Echevarria,
>>>> Ownerwww.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations at echevarriatrav
>>>> el.com Your old car keys can be the keys to literacy for a blind
>>>> child.
>>>> Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
>>>> www.nfb.org/vehicledonations or call 855-659-9314. Echevarria Travel
>>>> has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her
>>>> braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama
>>>>
>>>>> Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:42:16 -0500
>>>>> From: Cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
>>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Airline Travel
>>>>>
>>>>> Go to the tsa cares website and call them 72 hours prior to flying
>>>>> they can help you through it. I am not on the computer right now so
>>>>> if anyone can post the website or the phone number.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SR4
>>>>>
>>>>> -------- Original message --------
>>>>> From: craig.heaps at comcast.net
>>>>> Date:11/15/2013  4:34 PM  (GMT-05:00)
>>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Airline Travel
>>>>>
>>>>> My guide, Chase, and I will be flying Thanksgiving week with my
>>>>> wife to Milwaukee to see our son and daughter-in-law.  It will be
>>>>> the first flight Chase and I have taken together. He's very mellow.
>>>>> He rides the BART train every day and has taken a few local bus
>>>>> trips as well.
>>>>> Please give me any advice you have on airline travel, including how
>>>>> to navigate the TSA checkpoints..  The more detailed, the better.
>>>>>
>>>>> We will fly from San Francisco to Milwaukee on Southwest Airlines.
>>>>> I have preboarded many times before on Southwest while cane traveling.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for your help.
>>>>>
>>>>> Craig Heaps and Chase
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>> for nagdu:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40
>>>>> hotmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>> for nagdu:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40
>>>>> hotmail.com
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/brandydp%40verizo
>>>> n.net
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/craig.heaps%40comc
>>> ast.net
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/slstich%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecable.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/slstich%40gmail.com

More information about the NAGDU mailing list